“Every day around seven young people aged 13-to-24 are diagnosed with cancer in the UK,” said Dr Louise Soanes from the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“We know that across all age groups, cancer referrals have fallen by as much as 75% during the coronavirus pandemic, and with the anecdotal evidence we’ve gathered, we fear many 13-to-24 year olds will be deterred from contacting their GP, not wanting to add pressure to the health service.

“We know cancer can be harder to treat if it’s not diagnosed early, but young people can be slower to visit their GP with symptoms. It can also take longer for them to be referred to specialist.

“That’s why putting off an appointment will make things harder for the NHS in the long term.

“The health service is still very much open and wants to support you.”